evangelization – Catholic Exchangehttp://catholicexchange.com
Catholic News, Catholic Articles, Catholic Apologetics, Catholic Content, Catholic InformationWed, 13 Dec 2017 07:36:02 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.4Why Catholicism? An Interview with Brandon Vogthttp://catholicexchange.com/catholicism-interview-brandon-vogt
http://catholicexchange.com/catholicism-interview-brandon-vogt#respondThu, 19 Oct 2017 04:00:48 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=201348Throughout the world, Atheism is on the rise and an increasing number of people now identify themselves as having no religious affiliation (“nones”). In such a world where disbelief is gaining traction, why should anyone consider the Catholic Church? Best-selling author Brandon Vogt offers some unique insights gleaned from his own conversion experience as well […]]]>

Throughout the world, Atheism is on the rise and an increasing number of people now identify themselves as having no religious affiliation (“nones”). In such a world where disbelief is gaining traction, why should anyone consider the Catholic Church? Best-selling author Brandon Vogt offers some unique insights gleaned from his own conversion experience as well as his ongoing dialogue with atheists.

While discussing Vogt’s latest book, Why I Am Catholic (And You Should Be Too), Michael and Brandon reflect on their own paths to Catholicism and the many reasons everyone should consider the Catholic faith. From beauty to the grace of confession, we cover a lot of ground and dive into the big questions about life and faith in today’s episode.

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/catholicism-interview-brandon-vogt/feed0The Perspective of a Prominent Young Catholic Convert: An Interview with Brandon Vogthttp://catholicexchange.com/perspective-prominent-young-catholic-convert-interview-brandon-vogt
http://catholicexchange.com/perspective-prominent-young-catholic-convert-interview-brandon-vogt#respondThu, 07 Sep 2017 04:02:41 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=200652I recently had the opportunity to ask Brandon Vogt some interview questions. This past July (1-4), Brandon was one of about 3,500 prominent Catholic figures to attend the historic Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America in Orlando, Florida. Included within Brandon’s vast media accolades is his position as content director […]]]>

I recently had the opportunity to ask Brandon Vogt some interview questions. This past July (1-4), Brandon was one of about 3,500 prominent Catholic figures to attend the historic Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America in Orlando, Florida. Included within Brandon’s vast media accolades is his position as content director at Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire Ministries. Brandon is also a published author of various popular Catholic books. None of this is to mention Brandon’s role as a devoted husband and father, and someone who has shown how converts to the Catholic faith continue to both enrich and, frankly, comprise the lay Catholic leadership in the United States. Enjoy the depth of Brandon’s responses to my questions here.

What does your Catholic faith mean to you and your family?

Everything. It’s the DNA, the lifeblood, the beating heart of our family.

If a random passerby who had never heard of Jesus approached you and asked you to describe him in a few sentences, what would you say?

Jesus is the most startling, shocking, dangerous, intriguing person ever to walk the earth. When you meet the real Jesus, and not some sentimental caricature, he elicits only two reactions. Either you will love him or you will hate him. As C.S. Lewis said, “Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher.”

Tell us more about ClaritasU.

ClaritasU was created to help Catholics get clear and confident about the most pressing issues they face. These are the issues that make them nervous and afraid when they come up in conversation – things like atheism, same-sex marriage, transgenderism, and more.

Through ClaritasU, however, they get the tools and resources they need to stop being worried. Through video courses, expert interviews, and a vibrant community, we teach members how to be clear about their faith and answer the top objections. You can learn more at ClaritasU.com, but hurry, because the doors close to new members on Thursday, September 7, and they won’t open again for at least six months!

I have enjoyed watching your “Best Evidence for God” videos. Why did you start producing them?

One of the most alarming trends today is the rise of atheism. In the past ten years, the number of atheists in America has doubled. There were five million atheists in 2007. Today, there are over ten million. How has this happened? And what does it mean for us Catholics? That’s what I explain in this free video series, found at BestEvidenceForGod.com. You’ll learn why atheism is surging, what you should say when talking with atheist friends and family, and some good resources to go even deeper on the topic.

What have been some of the joys of working with Bishop Robert Barron and Word on Fire Ministries?

To quote the Little Flower, our main patroness, “Everything is grace!” I still can’t believe I get to work with Bishop Barron and so many talented and holy people at Word on Fire. These people are on the front lines of evangelizing the culture, and only in heaven will we learn the tremendous impact people like Bishop Barron have had on the world. I don’t think there’s a better evangelist in the English-speaking world than him, so it’s a great joy and honor to work alongside him.

As a fellow Ave Maria Press author, I must ask: what are your hopes for your forthcoming book Why I Am Catholic (and You Should Be Too)?

Well, the same hope as any author: that many people read their book and find it helpful! For Why I Am Catholic, though, I especially hope it finds its way to non-Catholic readers. I wrote it with atheists, agnostics, “nones,” and former Catholics in mind, so I want it in their hands. We to need to reveal to them how the Catholic Church is true, good, and beautiful, and how, through it, God wants to transform them and share all his gifts with them.

You used to be a self-identified millennial “none” regarding religion. I had my own doubts before returning to the practice of the Catholic faith late in my college years. For you, what led you to Catholicism in light of your time in college?

I wanted to join the Church that Jesus established. At the time, I was part of a Methodist community, and I really loved it. It was there I first learned the Bible, I began to pray on my own, and I found a warm community of loving friends. Yet still, as nice as those things were, I was uneasy learning that the Methodist church was founded just a few hundred years ago by two brothers, John and Charles Wesley. I didn’t want to join a church started by men. I wanted the Church started by Jesus. So I poured through history books and examined the early Church, discovering quickly that the early Church was resolutely Catholic. It was the acorn that developed into the tree of today’s Catholic Church. And once I made that connection, I couldn’t help but embrace it.

You run the popular website StrangeNotions.com, which has earned the designation of “the largest site of dialogue between Catholics and atheists.” What is one story from this experience that has stuck out for you?

We’ve had many great encounters. For example, I personally have enjoyed getting to know so many atheists through the site, counting many of them as friends. I’ve also interviewed some fun atheist leaders, including Dr. Michael Ruse, an atheist philosopher of science, who is one of the most friendly and thoughtful scholars I know. It’s also refreshing when I hear from atheists or skeptics who email me to say that a particular post or combox discussion has helped change their mind. It doesn’t happen often, and we’ve yet to have anyone who has admitted they’ve gone from atheism all the way to Catholicism, but there have been several who have renounced atheism and now identify as deist or theist.

I ask this in every interview: what is your favorite scriptural passage, and why?

Definitely John 10:10: “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” How many people today see Jesus, religion, and the Church as a thief? Someone who wants to steal away their freedom and happiness? But it’s precisely the wrong perspective. Jesus comes to give life, and give it to the full! What J.R.R. Tolkien wrote about the Blessed Sacrament could easily apply to Jesus: “Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth… [In Jesus] you will find romance, glory, honor, and fidelity.”

What advice do you have for millennial Catholics, many of whom are inclined to question the merits of the Catholic Church?

Follow the questions all the way down. You have questions about the Church? You have problems with some of her teachings? You have doubts? Good! That’s healthy! It means your mind is still working! But don’t stop there. Pursue those questions all the way. See what answers the Church gives. See what her brightest and most articulate defenders say. Give the Church a chance before casting her off. Because when you do, I’m convinced, you’ll find that in a strange and confused world, perhaps the Catholic Church looks so backward because everyone else is facing the wrong direction. As G.K. Chesterton says, “It is impossible to be just to the Catholic Church. The moment a man ceases to pull against it, he feels a tug towards it. The moment he ceases to shout it down, he begins to listen to it with pleasure. The moment he tries to be fair to it, he begins to be fond of it.”

*

You can follow Brandon on Twitter (@BrandonVogt). Keep an eye on whatever Brandon has in store next – he reliably finds a unique way to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ into the world through his media endeavors, thus taking seriously the call for all of the laity to participate in the efforts of the New Evangelization.

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/perspective-prominent-young-catholic-convert-interview-brandon-vogt/feed0Minimalism, Evangelical Poverty, and Simplicityhttp://catholicexchange.com/minimalism-evangelical-poverty-simplicity
http://catholicexchange.com/minimalism-evangelical-poverty-simplicity#commentsMon, 03 Jul 2017 04:07:57 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=199636As I was browsing my Facebook feed recently, I came across a post that struck me: it was of a close friend of mine posing with two guys called “The Minimalists.” Curious, I checked out their website and began reading some of their articles to get a better feel for their definition of minimalism. It […]]]>

As I was browsing my Facebook feed recently, I came across a post that struck me: it was of a close friend of mine posing with two guys called “The Minimalists.” Curious, I checked out their website and began reading some of their articles to get a better feel for their definition of minimalism. It is a concept about which I had heard through the years and is now gaining momentum among the Gen Xers and Millennials for its appeal to the “less is more” cliché.

According to pop culture, minimalism is a specific lifestyle based on the mentality of detachment from material possessions and subsequently the pursuit of personal happiness and freedom. The Minimalists claim that the goal is searching for happiness “not through things, but through life itself.”[i] Those who follow this movement assert that it isn’t so much about living with fewer things but rather the philosophy behind the lifestyle; in other words, it doesn’t mean much to just declutter or purge every now and then with a garage sale. Instead, a true minimalist must establish a type of intentionality to what s/he owns and why.

Pondering this, I wondered why this movement attracts so many people, but it occurred to me rather quickly that it’s not necessarily minimalism that many seek; it’s the virtue of simplicity and perhaps even evangelical poverty. Digging deeper into the Minimalist ethos, I realized that – much like other secular ideas and fads – it’s not so much that calling oneself a Minimalist is bad. It’s that it’s incomplete.

Of the Minimalists who blog and whom I’ve read in order to delve more deeply into this topic, I realize that their ultimate end is for personal happiness and freedom. Naturally, these are not inherently bad desires. The problem is that they are not ultimately rooted in the spiritual depth that the virtue of simplicity and, for some, evangelical poverty offers.

If I am seeking happiness, financial freedom, and detachment from any sort of oppressive bond to my “stuff,” but it all ends there, what am I truly accomplishing? Will there come a time in my life when I realize I still feel empty in the recesses of my soul? I believe my heart would still languish if my motivation behind such living was not of a higher, supernatural origin, namely God.

The virtue of simplicity, much like Minimalism, is that we endeavor towards detachment from materialism and the consumerist mindset of our culture. However, simplicity – as a virtue – would have us move beyond this reprioritizing of our things. Simplicity asks more of us. It beckons us toward charity.

If I am ridding my life of things I don’t use, need, or really even want and am simultaneously offering this to God in the form of prayer, I will necessarily have more room in my heart for the highest goal of all: love. Through Christian charity, I am asking God how I can be a witness to others, how I can go forth in my life to become more generous with the extra time, space, and money I have.

Minimalism tells me to pursue my own version of happiness, whatever that may be. Simplicity asks me to pursue God’s designs for my life rather than my own. When true detachment from worldly things becomes a significant and constant aspect of my intentional living, it does not end with me. Rather, it allows God to create more space in my heart for Him to move in and through me, to touch other people’s lives.

I think that’s why the vow of poverty in religious communities can be so attractive and yet repulsive to many people. It’s because we are drawn to those who are genuinely free within, because they do not possess material wealth and, as a result, possess God more fully. At the same time, we wonder how anyone could voluntarily relinquish their cell phones, access to the Internet, plethora of books, car, and home. Yet we see, time and again, that this renunciation is motivated by a truly generous spirit, an unabashed longing to love God.

Many women religious explain that they are able to more fully live out their other vow of obedience to their superiors because of the virtue of poverty. Without owning much more than clothing and perhaps a few books, they have the freedom to go on missions, move to a new convent or start an apostolate. They are not bound by their possessions, and because of this, they are willing to freely give everything to God.

Maybe that’s why Minimalism is so enticing: people long for more than the fleeting pleasures that possessions offer them, yet they are not quite on the cusp of recognizing that their truest, deepest thirst is for giving all to God. That’s where I see the biggest difference between secularism and virtue in this case. In the former, people erroneously believe the highest end in life is personal happiness and freedom; in the latter, people sagaciously accept the contradiction that owning less and living in a spirit of detachment draws them nearer to God so that He may be their only possession.

There is, indeed, good in many modern movements, including Minimalism, but they lack the one component necessary, the only aspect that would offer complete and lasting happiness. Their philosophies are often repackaged from ancient Stoics (in this case), yet they neglect to acknowledge the supreme aim for all should be heaven, not earth. The notion of living with less falls short when it is not coupled with the question, “What more can I do for You, God, now that I have less in my life to distract me?”

That’s why, as Catholics, our aim must always be on the “something more” rather than on earthly contentment. That something more is living for God rather than for ourselves. It is seeking His will above our own. It is asking of Him what He wants us to rid of, detach from, and in the end, replace with a greater generosity in giving of ourselves for His work in loving others.

Holiness does not always include earthly happiness, but in our emptiness offered to God with sincerity of intention to please Him, He will fill us with the greatest treasure of all: His Heart.

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/minimalism-evangelical-poverty-simplicity/feed3Evangelization: Reaching Out to the Brokenhttp://catholicexchange.com/evangelization-reaching-broken
http://catholicexchange.com/evangelization-reaching-broken#commentsThu, 29 Jun 2017 04:07:14 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=199598A good friend of mine from high school died recently. It was a tragic death. This was not at all surprising to me because I worried that he would meet an early and untimely death. He died at the age of 37. The sadness and grief I feel are even greater because I knew deep […]]]>

A good friend of mine from high school died recently. It was a tragic death. This was not at all surprising to me because I worried that he would meet an early and untimely death. He died at the age of 37. The sadness and grief I feel are even greater because I knew deep down it would happen. We were very close during a time when youth mingled with deep pain. Both of us struggled with backgrounds marred by broken and dysfunctional forms of love. It was our brokenness that brought us even closer as friends. We had an understanding that our other friends did not. Our wounds bound us together, even if our choices were very different.

As we grew into adulthood, our lives took different paths. We lost touch when I returned to my Catholic roots about ten years ago after a period of wandering and he began to remind me of the tragic character Sebastian in Brideshead Revisited. In fact, it even appears that my friend suffered a violent end in Morocco. Strange since Sebastian spent time in Morocco before finishing his days in Tunisia. He so desperately wanted to be truly loved, but looked in all of the wrong places. The anger, resentment, abandonment, and weakness of the flesh made this journey even more difficult. It makes it even harder for many of us to see God through our own choices, our family backgrounds, and the real and perceived abandonment by others. I have no doubt that the “Hound of Heaven” was on his heels at every turn. Now, in death, I pray that he turned to the God of mercy and found the True Love he sought his whole life.

Our great need for mercy.

These last couple of weeks since I learned of his passing, I have spent a lot of time remembering. It has made me realize even more why we need mercy. Many of us are dealt difficult hands in this life. Our crosses vary. Some of us may be born into poverty, become chronically ill, battle mental illness, come up in dysfunctional homes, and the list goes on and on. We can become battle worn and wounded to the point of which we are barely making it. There are so many people around us, in our homes, or even ourselves who are deeply lonely.

We are made for love and by Love. This reality at the very depths of our being is the driving force of our actions. We may not consciously realize it at the time. In fact, our sinful choices can blind us to this truth. Even our sin points to a longing within us to be loved. We choose pleasure and the easy road precisely because we want to grasp at something tangible, something that looks like love. We want to feel good because we either mistake it for love, or, we want to deaden the ache within us.

Many of us do not have a healthy understanding of love. This may be because we have never seen real love in action. This is especially true in families torn apart by dysfunction, pride, and generational behavior that continues on down through the ages. A painful childhood has life-long consequences. It can make an encounter with the Living God difficult. Many of us struggle with dictatorial understandings of God. It takes being beaten, broken, and left bare in His presence to truly encounter grace, mercy, and love. For some of us, there is no other way. God must break us open so that he can heal the deepest of wounds within us.

Implications for evangelization.

This brokenness of so many in our midst is something we need to keep in mind for evangelization. In our boldness, righteousness, and desire to draw others in, we can forget that far too many people are deeply wounded and afflicted. They need tender and merciful care. Beating someone over the head with their sins only furthers this pain. The wounded who have darkened our doors already know they’ve made wrong and sinful choices. It may take them a while to heal enough to seek forgiveness from God. They must learn to trust. If a person has never seen love mirroring the Holy Trinity, then they find it difficult to trust others. Mercy does not mean abandoning objective truth and the moral law, but browbeating others points more to our own pride than it does to loving a person where they are in their brokenness. Do we truly want those wounds to heal or do we want to inflict even more in our desire to be right?

I know something of this because I am one of those wounded. I am still learning to trust God and His unconditional love. I know something of dysfunctional understandings of love, abandonment, feeling unworthy, and fearing a dictatorial God seeking vengeance upon me for my actions. I am not the only one. Far too many people are unable to drag themselves, even crawling, to our churches because they truly believe they are worthless, hopeless, unlovable, unforgiveable, and left to a wrathful God. Not because these things are true, but because they have spent their lives being told these things and they have used, and been used, by other people to the point that love is a meaningless to them. Love is relegated to the status of fable or fairy tale.

When I read Catholic threads online, I see that this understanding of our brokenness is missing in far too many circles. We are all broken in one way or another since we are all in a battle with sin and Satan. We make assumptions or we discard others because our experiences differ greatly from them. We do not seek to understand how someone can fall so low. We don’t try to extend a hand to the drowning. The balance of justice and mercy is found in Our Savior. Both. It is not one or the other. Far too many people pick one of these and discard the other. Yes, objective moral truth exists and we must work to encourage people to live the tenets of the Faith, but on the flip side, we must invite others to experience the Living God. It is an encounter with Christ that leads to conversion and healing. The One who takes away our sins and heals our gaping wounds. For many, that healing must come first. For all, that encounter with Christ must come first. We cannot expect people to submit to God in blind obedience. We must help them to come to know Jesus Christ, the real, tangible, God-man who loves all people. How many people in our families, churches, communities, cities, etc. are seeking love in all of the wrong places? What are we doing about it before tragedy strikes?

Now of that long pursuit
Comes on at hand the bruit;
That Voice is round me like a bursting sea:
“And is thy earth so marred,
Shattered in shard on shard?
Lo, all things fly thee, for thou fliest Me!
Strange, piteous, futile thing,
Wherefore should any set thee love apart?
Seeing none but I makes much of naught,” He said,
“And human love needs human meriting,
How hast thou merited–
Of all man’s clotted clay rhe dingiest clot?
Alack, thou knowest not
How little worthy of any love thou art!
Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee
Save Me, save only Me?
All which I took from thee I did but take,
Not for thy harms.
But just that thou might’st seek it in my arms.
All which thy child’s mistake
Fancies as lost, I have stored for the at home;

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/evangelization-reaching-broken/feed5Community: The Gift of Witnesshttp://catholicexchange.com/community-gift-witness
http://catholicexchange.com/community-gift-witness#respondThu, 15 Jun 2017 04:07:04 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=199380“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…” Hebrews 12:1-2 Recently, I shared some […]]]>

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…” Hebrews 12:1-2

Recently, I shared some thoughts on what it means to live in community with one another and how that “communion” helps us express the truth of being made in the image and likeness of God. Regardless of our vocation or where we are in life, we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves. We cannot love if we do not have some level of relationship with others, providing us necessary opportunities to grow more like Christ through our interactions.

I cannot emphasize enough, the value of Christian witness. In heaven, we have the saints and their lives to draw inspiration from, their intercession to rely on but we also need contemporaries we know on some personal level, to walk with us on our journey.

The blessing of the community of believers I belong to has become immensely apparent to me as I better understand my own struggles. Because I worship with monks, I have an example of Christians who have given up many personal freedoms and who have committed their lives to strive after theosis (to be …partakers of the Divine Nature…2 Peter 1:4).

The usual monastic practices that they cultivate have been examples for me to follow. The spiritual life that I have is why I have been able to get through my darkest times. In the past year, as I have learned from secular sources how to handle anxiety attacks and process and heal from my trauma, I learned I had already been doing much of the best practices. The wisdom of the Church is very much alive and can help many of us who struggle.

An ancient and modern day ailment we all suffer from at one point in our lives, if not throughout, is despondency. Think of it as the spiritual struggle in depression, sometimes manifesting itself in our lives through feelings of hopelessness, lukewarmness, or even over-zealousness in our faith which leads to burn-out. I have found time and time again that community has been the answer for my despondency.

The witness of the Christians in my life has been an endless source of help to me, most especially at crucial times. The spiritual struggles that are bound to come along for all of us are made easier by the mutual bearing of one another’s burdens. When we share our lives with others we can be a blessing to them, often in ways we don’t even realize.

In the last few years, I have, at times, experienced overwhelming difficulty. This past year has been my hardest on many levels. Ironically, this has also been a time of self-knowledge and growth. I have come to understand that depression and anxiety have been companions along my journey since I was a kid. I have had periods of freedom from both, but they have never been too far away. Some of my hardest times are during pregnancy. I have had ten kids in the last twenty years and spent nearly half of the time battling severe depression regularly.

I have never discussed my issues at any real length with anyone but have found comfort and healing among my family and friends just the same. It is the friendly faces, familiar voices at prayer, a shared meal on a Sunday or feast day, laughing together–those are the little sources of light in the dark.

The times when it was evident something was wrong, light came from a kind word of assured prayers and a candle lit by someone who didn’t push or pry but simply made the gesture. It came as a reminder from my confessor that he is “here if you need to talk.” I find tremendous comfort in knowing such caring people that I can reach out to if needed.

Often it is the witness of others that helps me break through my despondency. About a year ago, Brother Isaac started a project involving the monastery’s patroness the Searcher for the Lost. He asked my husband and me to help him. During our working time together I saw Brother Isaac’s child-like excitement and love for the Theotokos. Add that to his infectious smile and laughter, and it was just the medicine I needed.

Another witness who was a lighthouse in a storm also came from the community. As I mentioned, the past year has been my darkest which left me questioning everything about my life and faith. I was often without hope. The most difficult situation of my life reached a turning point when I found hope in someone else’s dark time. Because I know the difficult trials this person has endured, I have been able to reflect on his experience which has helped me understand my own. Seeing this person whom I have a great love, respect, and admiration for, struggle and prevail, and seeing the monastic community endure and grow through his trials helped me move forward in my serious battles—Hope was encountered just when I needed it the most.

The important part of going through life together is in the little things that bring rays of hope and break through the darkness. The everyday grace that stems from commitment, mutual respect, genuine love, shared laughter and even tears now and then–these are the real graces of the shared journey.

Every last one of us needs the gift of witness from others struggling along the same journey of salvation as we are. Camaraderie is hard to come by these days, even for those of us who regularly attend church services–A symptom of the breakdown of family life. St. Pope John Paul II said, “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” If we want to take seriously the calling to be icons of the Trinity, to be the one body of Christ, then we must understand the real work set before us.

A community-centered faith will not be a cure-all. We need to be careful in this discussion to not romanticize things or to make the task seem harder than it is. Moving across the country to be next to a monastery is not necessary for people to do. My family did this, but it was an organic move on our part. The monastery we are monastic associates (oblates) of had to move from California to Wisconsin. A year after they moved, my family also needed to make a move for financial reasons. We knew how important our community was and wanted to be in a more stable, committed one. For us, the move made perfect sense; we had already been a part of the monastery’s extended community for years.

However, we can each commit (as best we can) to the people we are already among at church. We can reach out and build friendships, start books studies, fast together, have meals together on Sundays and Feasts. The important thing is to intentionally strive to live out one’s faith, and that needs to include building relationships with fellow worshippers. These things take time and need to be organic, not forced or premature. If we want deep roots to grow, we must be patient.

In my journey, I have been blessed to know many wonderful people from so many different walks of life–Real people who struggle and fall but get up again. People whose love for God and others shines through their simple everyday actions. Christians who believe in the need to do the hard work of building community even when it feels like it doesn’t pay off. Each of them sharing a different perspective and witness of the Christian faith.

We need to be witnesses of the Good News we have received in every aspect of our lives: in our families, amongst our friends, at work, school, on social media, in our neighborhoods, and in our churches. We must remember what our Lord told us, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” We must be witnesses of this love, and we will do that in community.

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/community-gift-witness/feed0Do You Love God?http://catholicexchange.com/do-you-love-god
http://catholicexchange.com/do-you-love-god#commentsFri, 19 May 2017 04:07:40 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=198945Do you love God? It’s the most basic, important question anyone will ever ask you, and you will ever answer. Many of us reply too quickly and easily, “Of course I do!” This Sunday Jesus shines a bright light on what loving Him really means: “If you love me, you’ll keep my commandments,” (John 14:15-21). […]]]>

Do you love God? It’s the most basic, important question anyone will ever ask you, and you will ever answer. Many of us reply too quickly and easily, “Of course I do!” This Sunday Jesus shines a bright light on what loving Him really means: “If you love me, you’ll keep my commandments,” (John 14:15-21).

This message is important.

This is important because many think heaven is a given. Many think all that’s required is being nice. Many think “a loving God could never send someone to hell,” without realizing hell is something many freely choose (and are choosing).

Many think they can pick and choose what to believe. Or when to believe it. Like going down the highway and thinking the lines plainly drawn need not be followed, many think the path to heaven is something we can define.

No. The path to heaven is Someone who defines us. And each of us are given the freedom to reject our truest definition in Him.

And most tragically, many leaders, in the name of Jesus Christ and His Church, time and again fail to communicate the path to heaven. With fidelity. With clarity. With persistence. With intent for transformation. Particularly in the most controversial regards.

This merits shouting.

Let me ask: If you were a fireman eating breakfast in your home one morning, and happened to glance across the street and note your neighbors, blissfully doing the same, while the upper floors were being engulfed in flames, how silent and impassive would you be? Would you return to your paper, shrugging it off because calling any attention is “not loving?” Would you remain quiet because “it’s none of my business.”

With mortal sin we are talking about being engulfed in flames. We are talking about people not being saved. Forever. Because of us.We don’t like to think of this, but if God has called and equipped us to be instruments of His salvation (He has), not doing so will result in others not being saved! Our neglect is a serious sin of omission.

To clarify the path to heaven is an act of love.
To alert someone who is off the path is an act of love.

It’s Time to Talk.

It can no longer be said “the church is always talking sin and hell.” Look around. Read the paper. Turn on the TV. While sin is undeniably the story line, it is not recognized for what it is: separation from God, self and others. A prison. Alienation. Crashing into the berm on the highway. Brokenness.

Sin is an absence of what we were created for: real, enduring intimacy.

And to the many leaders who think talking “sin and hell” is what keeps people from church, look around. Note the dramatic decline in church attendance. Note that such decline is directly proportionate to the decline in acknowledgement of sin.

If we don’t know our sin, we don’t need to know our Savior. Why bother? The absence of talking sin is today’s epic “Sound of Silence.”

Absence of talking sin and hell (the corollaries to faith and heaven), is not love any more than is the fireman’s neglect in telling his neighbors their house is on fire. It may be cowardice. It may be fear. It may be misguided. It may be laziness. It is not love.

If all this were not true, so important, so urgent in the heart of God, why would He send His Blessed Mother to us at Fatima (and so many other places), warning us that hell is real, that many go there, that the bar is high, and that we all need deeper, ongoing conversion?

The Shape of Love.

As an act of love, we need to constantly consider the path to eternal life, the shape of love– the entire reason God came to save us in Jesus Christ!

A mortal sin is a gravely wrong act that can lead to damnation if not absolved before death.

The three requirements for mortal sin (CCC, 1859):

1) Its subject matter must be grave (or serious).

2) It must be committed with full knowledge (and awareness) of the sinful action and the gravity of the offense.

3) It must be committed with deliberate and complete consent.

If we love Jesus, we need to keep His commandment and heed the words at the end of mass: “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.” How many of us are intentionally doing this? If not, we ought to seriously question whether or not we’ve really gotten it. Are we aware of our sin, and how we’re saved and being saved?

If we’re not actively, intentionally, joyfully, enthusiastically, naturally evangelizing, chances are we have not yet been evangelized. Chances are our eyes have not yet been opened to who we really are, who God is in Jesus Christ, and the epic reality of our nature and purpose here “on earth as it is in heaven.”

If that’s you, open wide the gates. Recognize your sin so you can all the more recognize your Savior. Tune in to our IGNITE Radio Live this Tuesday (8p) on Annunciation Radio. We’re going there. Listen to some of our podcasts, because this is our passion. (GO)

For those aware of our identity and mission in Jesus Christ.

Let’s start with family and friends who constitute the 75% missing in action on any given Sunday. Yes, convey that God is the supply of their deepest desire for intimacy, which means, yes, their separation from this intimacy is grave. (CCC, 2181) It is a mortal sin. They’re in a burning building. They need to be saved. God wants to save them. God deeply desires intimacy with them. God desires to flood them with His Presence.

Love impels us know and communicate actions which constitute grave matter, a few of the most common of which are:

Pornography (CCC, 2354)

Masturbation (CCC, 2396)

All extra-marital sexual activity (CCC, 2396)

Perjury – promise without intent of keeping (CCC, 2152)

Sacrilege – profaning anything sacred (CCC, 2120)

Schism – acting against church teaching (CCC, 2089)

Contraception – (Humanae Vitae, no. 19)

The Good News.

In Jesus Christ we can be forgiven, healed and transformed. (Rom. 12:1-2) Go to Confession. Be reconciled. Be contrite. Make the commitment. Return to new life in the Holy Spirit.

We’re all yearning for more than another program. Another event. Another moment. We’re yearning to be united in a transforming way of life in Jesus Christ.

We’re yearning to live our purpose and mission on this planet. In our marriages. Our homes. Our parishes. Overflowing to the world. We can’t do it by ourselves. We need ever greater and newer outpouring.

God’s promised: “I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already ablaze,” (Luke 12:49) (Catholic Exchange Article). If you’re in the Northwest Ohio area, join us for our Praying With Fire Conference, Sunday, June 4, 4-9:30pm. Go to MassImpact.us/FIRE (use discount code: “25FIRE”).

EASY EVANGELIZATION: Just share this. Right now. Set aside fear. Step into it. It could make an eternal difference.

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/do-you-love-god/feed1Holy Thursday and the New Commandmenthttp://catholicexchange.com/holy-thursday-new-commandment
http://catholicexchange.com/holy-thursday-new-commandment#respondThu, 13 Apr 2017 04:07:02 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=198385Jesus’ actions on Holy Thursday were revolutionary and radical. They are meant to shock our consciences. Indeed, St. Peter was so shocked he exclaimed, “You shall never wash my feet.” (Jn. 13:8) His sensibilities were offended that the Messiah, the very Son of God, would perform the actions of a typical household slave of those […]]]>

Jesus’ actions on Holy Thursday were revolutionary and radical. They are meant to shock our consciences. Indeed, St. Peter was so shocked he exclaimed, “You shall never wash my feet.” (Jn. 13:8) His sensibilities were offended that the Messiah, the very Son of God, would perform the actions of a typical household slave of those days. Jesus turned the world upside down. True greatness would no longer be measured in money, power and social status, but in simple humble service to our fellow man, as Jesus taught them, “He who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Mt. 23:10)

It was in the Cenacle in Jerusalem that Thursday night that Jesus faced His imminent death. Just hours from His Passion and Crucifixion – this supreme moment in His life – all of His words and actions in the Upper Room carried special meaning and weight. Jesus waited until this moment at the Last Supper to institute the Eucharist and Holy Orders. In this intimate setting with His closest friends and Apostles, Jesus washes their feet, and gives us the Mandatum, or the mandate, the new commandment. As John tells us:

Jesus “rose from supper, laid aside His garments, and girded Himself with a towel. Then He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.” (Jn. 13:4-5)

Following the washing of the disciples’ feet, Jesus says, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” (Jn. 13:14-15)

Here, with His final actions before Good Friday, Jesus shows the disciples that they are to humbly serve one another. He reinforces this with His final discourse, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (Jn. 13:34) On Holy Thursday, the beginning of the paschal Triduum, Jesus commissions all of His disciples, that is, all Christians, above all else, to love one another.

As with all things, Jesus’ words and example is the model for us to follow. Jesus Himself said He “came not to be served but to serve.” (Mt. 20:28) St. Paul too speaks of Jesus’ humility as He “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.” (Phil. 2:7) He spoke often about the need for humility and service, and the necessity to live one’s life with Christian charity. One of Jesus’ great teachings is the parable of the Good Samaritan. He uses the parable to demonstrate what our mercy should resemble, and that we should “Go and do likewise.” (Lk. 10:37) In another parable, the Rich Man and Lazarus, Jesus warns us about the implications of not living a life of mercy and charity. In the parable, the rich man, who did not show mercy or compassion towards the poor man Lazarus, ends up in torment in Hades. Abraham reminds him that he had his opportunity to demonstrate mercy during his lifetime, but chose not to. These are sobering words from Jesus.

Perhaps the most jarring words on this is Jesus’ depiction of the Final Judgment. The Righteous inherit the kingdom and eternal life, with Jesus telling them: “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” (Mt. 25: 35-36) The Righteous had lived Jesus’ Beatitudes, especially “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Mt. 5:7) But to those who fail to perform works of mercy and charity, Jesus sends them to eternal punishment. Ultimately, we are judged by whether we follow Christ’s new commandment or not. In serving the needy, we are, in reality, serving Christ, as He said, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” (Mt. 25:40)

Jesus says the distinguishing characteristic of His disciples will be their “love for one another.” Tertullian remarked that the early Roman pagans would exclaim of Christians, “See how they love one another!” And what should this charity towards our neighbor look like? The Church teaches the corporal works of mercy, in which we minister to the bodily needs of the person, primarily as: “feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead.” (CCC 2447) The Church similarly teaches that we should practice spiritual works of mercy as well, primarily by: instructing, advising, consoling, comforting, forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently, and praying for the living and the dead. These bring to mind Jesus’ words to St. Faustina on the absolute necessity for us to demonstrate mercy towards our neighbor through deed, word, or prayer. (Diary, 742)

Jesus’ new commandment is clear; we are to love one another. How then do we do this on a practical level? The varied number of ways we can fulfill this are as long as they are deep. We can do it in our everyday life and work. We can donate our time and money, or goods and services. We can volunteer at a soup kitchen, or be involved in a parish social ministry. One of the areas I find rewarding is working with the homeless population. Regardless of what the social and economic causes may be for homelessness, and whether our actions may be enabling them to some extent, Jesus did command us “Give to every one who begs from you.” (Lk. 6:30) To enter into the world of the homeless is to be barraged by sights, sounds, smells and struggles. It is to witness firsthand the brokenness in humanity in drug addiction and mental health sickness, and at times, crime. On the other hand, they are people just like you and me. Each homeless man or woman is a person, with an inherent dignity, made in the image of God. In their faces and bodies is Jesus. Although sometimes it is a difficult experience, I almost always feel enriched and spiritually renewed in serving them.

And so, it is up to us to live out Christ’s commission of mercy and charity towards our neighbor: to love one another in humble service as He has loved us. This is Christ’s radical idea that upended the trajectory of the ancient world. The God-man took the form of a servant and washed the feet of His disciples. This is Jesus’ radical example for us. It was in this Passover setting that the sacrificial lamb gave way to the sacrifice of Christ: the prefigurement gave way to the reality. Christ gave us this sublime example and new commandment at the Last Supper, as He offered the sacrament of His love in the Eucharist. We too can offer ourselves, as a living sacrifice, in our mercy and charity towards others, in union with the sacrifice of Christ.

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/holy-thursday-new-commandment/feed0Your Friendship Can Bring Christ to Othershttp://catholicexchange.com/friendship-can-bring-christ-others
http://catholicexchange.com/friendship-can-bring-christ-others#commentsWed, 12 Apr 2017 04:07:35 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=198363A friend stopped me during my daily walk with my dog for an unexpected conversation. As she momentarily halted her vigorous weeding, her approach seemed overly enthusiastic. “Jeannie, I have to tell you something!” she squealed with enthusiasm. I responded with equal gusto, “What is it?” Apparently a book I gave her over four years […]]]>

A friend stopped me during my daily walk with my dog for an unexpected conversation. As she momentarily halted her vigorous weeding, her approach seemed overly enthusiastic. “Jeannie, I have to tell you something!” she squealed with enthusiasm. I responded with equal gusto, “What is it?” Apparently a book I gave her over four years ago is now one she is eagerly devouring. It’s Scott Hahn’s Reason to Believe, and I’d nearly forgotten about it until she expressed how much it convicted her.

Normally, this wouldn’t have been news to write home about, but this was not a normal situation. My friend is Mennonite, and she comes from generations of Protestants who follow this faith tradition.

“I’m getting disillusioned with the Mennonite response to modern issues in the world,” she continued as I listened attentively. “Everything I read that is Catholic is really convicting me, and I keep running into Catholic blogs and articles. They all speak to me, and I just want to share what I’m learning with everyone else!”

In that moment, I recalled an article I’d read about gradualism, and it occurred to me that this was the fruit of many years of cultivating friendship with her. Last year I read the book, Forming Intentional Disciples, and I had informally been practicing evangelization to my dear friend. Here’s how it all began:

1. Building a relationship

About eight years ago, I met my neighbor, who became a close friend. We fostered a relationship based on common interests, then our shared understanding of humanity based on our degrees in psychology, and finally, our Christian faith. We listened to each other with mutual respect and admiration, never condescending or judging. The first step to conversion begins with a solid friendship formed with this type of reciprocal respect.

2. Establishing trust

Eventually my friend trusted me on matters concerning doctrine. Because we already had the foundation of friendship, she was willing to seek my advice and perspective about cultural and moral issues through the lens of Catholicism. We discussed life issues, the Eucharist, and celibacy – all with her authentically comprehending and believing what I shared.

3. Openness to Catholicism

Last year, I became cognizant that my friend was, in fact, open to Catholicism. Her questions went from distant curiosity to genuine interest. I noticed a change in the way she saw herself, church history, apologetics, and all of the theological and philosophical applications of Catholicism in the modern day. Her heart was directed toward, rather than away from, the beauty of our Faith.

4. Conversion

Now that my friend is reading Scott Hahn and sees the conviction of truth in her heart, I can see that she is on the journey toward conversion. From my viewpoint, this doesn’t mean verbalizing what I see to her. It means the continuation of listening to her insights, sharing when she asks, and maintaining our friendship.

We don’t have to knock door-to-door to be new evangelists. In fact, the beauty of a gradual conversion is often what draws people into the Church so that they stay. A faith rooted in rich, fertile soul is much more likely to withstand the inevitable storms that attempt to uproot it than the overzealous convert whose faith is built on rock or sand.

Maybe the point for all of us is to realize that everyone God places in our lives is a person in need of what we have to offer – hospitality, a thoughtful gift, a listening heart. If we allow God to be the One who puts all of the pieces together, we eventually discover that we were part of a beautiful tapestry – piece by piece, bit by bit – all along. Evangelization doesn’t have to be difficult. It just means we are attentive to the movement of the Holy Spirit in and through our everyday relationships.

The Easter season is one in which we recall the twelve Apostles and their commissioning – their sending forth into the world – after Pentecost. As the original Christian evangelists, they were first trained for a time, and then Jesus sent them to use what they had learned, to implement their gifts and talents in new and strange lands, but most of all, to be the heart of the Faith.

As disciples of Christ, we are also called to evangelize through the heart language, by way of encountering a person in his or her spiritual journey. We do not proselytize. We do not lead Pharisaical lives. Rather, we return to the source of our faith just as the Apostles did. We receive Jesus in the Eucharist frequently; we confess our sins regularly; and we call upon the Holy Spirit to hear and speak the right words so that every conversation might be holy.

Years have passed since I first met my dear friend. In fact, it has been nearly ten years since we first met and forged a close bond with each other. I have seen her spiritual maturity unfurl slowly but steadily. I have watched in amazement at her inner transformation based on conversations she has initiated. And, today, in this Easter season, I stand in awe at the reality that she is on the cusp of conversion. To participate so directly in one’s call to Catholicism is incredibly humbling and quite an honor.

So we, like the first Twelve, must not be afraid to engage others when they approach us. We can view evangelization as if it were door-to-door preaching, or we can see it instead as the gradual building of relationships, the mutual trust and reciprocity that unfolds as the relationship deepens. When we step back and allow the Holy Spirit to lead our friendships with others, we just might one day realize that we have been instruments of evangelization all along.

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/friendship-can-bring-christ-others/feed2Suspect the Goodhttp://catholicexchange.com/suspect-the-good
http://catholicexchange.com/suspect-the-good#respondMon, 27 Mar 2017 04:02:31 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=198112It’s nearly impossible to have a civil conversation nowadays with someone who disagrees with you. For example, take Sally, who is pro-choice, and her friend Alice, who is pro-life. Sally and Alice had never talked about this issue before, but now that they have, they suddenly find themselves at odds. Does this have to spell […]]]>

It’s nearly impossible to have a civil conversation nowadays with someone who disagrees with you. For example, take Sally, who is pro-choice, and her friend Alice, who is pro-life. Sally and Alice had never talked about this issue before, but now that they have, they suddenly find themselves at odds. Does this have to spell an end to their friendship? They both thought the other was a good person, but now they aren’t so sure and don’t know how to even begin discussing the issue. How can they begin a conversation when they each hold opinions that appear so monstrous to each other? The first and most difficult step is to suspect the good. This can be where a conversation starts.

Let’s first look at what the phrase “suspect the good” means. Often when we think of the word “suspect,” we think of the subject of a criminal investigation. We also don’t think of being suspicious as a good thing. The word “suspect,” however, is defined as to “have an idea or impression of the existence, presence, or truth of (something) without certain proof.” This is the definition of “suspect” we should use when talking about suspecting the good.

But what does it mean to suspect “the good”? Let’s look at the definition of “suspect” above and plug in “the good.” To suspect the good would be to “have an idea or impression of the existence, presence, or truth of the good without certain proof.”

It can be easy to think the worst of someone who disagrees with you: Alice (pro-life) might think that Sally (pro-choice) desires the expansion of the government-condoned mass murder of infants, or Sally might think that Alice desires a return to the institutionalized subjugation of women to men. Oftentimes, we focus on the evils that we fear will result from others’ opinions. But the results we are scandalized by are rarely the reasons our friends make the decision that produces those results. Sally isn’t pro-choice because she wants to murder infants, but because she thinks that pregnancy and motherhood keep women from being successful in jobs where men dominate. Alice isn’t pro-life because she wants to be dominated by men, but because she is horrified by the massive numbers of infants being murdered daily through abortion. To be able to see this is what it means to suspect the good.

No one chooses to act unless they think it will bring about good, even if it’s just one’s personal sense of what’s good. We shouldn’t assume that we know the reasons why people do what they do. The reasons people act are as different as the people you meet. This is why one of the key phrases in the definition presented above is “without certain proof.” You don’t need to know what someone’s motivations are to suspect that they believe them to be good.

To be clear, people can still be wrong. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t disagree, but it does mean that you should not give up hope for reaching an agreement. You can start a conversation assuming that they aren’t deliberately choosing evil. Often, it’s not the reasons behind our opinions that put us into conflict, but the actions we take as a result of holding those opinions. There is nothing mutually exclusive in the desire for women to be successful and the desire to not see infants murdered. Perhaps Sally and Alice, after recognizing these underlying reasons, can come to a mutual agreement on a course of action that adequately addresses the concerns of both parties. This would resolve their conflict. Unfortunately, not all conflicts can be resolved by suspecting the good, but at least there is hope enough to try.

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/suspect-the-good/feed0St. Patrick’s Day on a Friday in Lenthttp://catholicexchange.com/st-patricks-day-friday-lent
http://catholicexchange.com/st-patricks-day-friday-lent#commentsFri, 17 Mar 2017 04:07:54 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=197980Took a drop of the pure To keep me heart from sinkin’. That’s the Patty’s cure Whenever he’s on to drinkin’! -“The Rocky Road to Dublin” Irish immigrants to Boston celebrated the nation’s first St. Patrick’s Day in 1737, and the first parade was held in New York in 1762. It is peculiar how Americans have […]]]>

Took a drop of the pureTo keep me heart from sinkin’.That’s the Patty’s cureWhenever he’s on to drinkin’!

-“The Rocky Road to Dublin”

Irish immigrants to Boston celebrated the nation’s first St. Patrick’s Day in 1737, and the first parade was held in New York in 1762. It is peculiar how Americans have come to honor St. Patrick since those early days. A religious feast that was celebrated quietly for a thousand years in Ireland has become a roaring beer fest in America. American culture has a way of savaging ancient culture, and that’s because America is a breeding ground for a new race of savages—a new race of pagans with a new pantheon of idols. The United States remains, even in the 21st century, a missionary country. Yet, by some mystical irony, the one saint that is universally “honored” in the land of the neo-pagans is St. Patrick, the Missionary.

Though his day has been damaged along with St. Valentine’s and St. Nicholas’s, at least St. Patrick is yet remembered as a saint. Granted, March 17th is usually kept by drinking green beer while wearing o’ the green. But still, the day is kept. Granted, the day is hopelessly littered with sequin shamrocks and leering leprechauns. But still, the day is the one day when “everyone is Irish,” and pagans hail the very one that saved the Irish—and in that lies a strange and subtle hope. Just as Mark Twain, a bitter atheist, honored St. Joan of Arc in his beautiful book and perhaps thereby unknowingly won the prayers of the Maid of Orléans, so too might the brash atheists of modernity unknowingly surrender their souls in some way to the prayers of St. Patrick, the patron of God’s pagans. May it be so, and may the good St. Patrick ignite his fire in this nation as he did in Ireland. It is good, therefore, to salute the Saint of Ireland with a drop or two on March 17th, but what should the conscientious Catholic Patty do when that famous day for the drop falls on a Friday in Lent?

The course that St. Patrick set in the 5th century Christianized the whole of Ireland within two hundred years of his ministry, making Ireland the only country in Europe to be brought to its knees before the Cross peacefully, bringing an end to slavery, human sacrifice, and intertribal warfare. Patrick’s life is legendary. From his abduction by pirates as a boy, his slavery under an Irish Chieftain as a young man, and his war with the Druids as a missionary priest, Patrick’s history dances with the energy of an Irish jig and weaves with the complexity of Celtic knot-work. The facts that are often forgotten among the fantastic marvels that drove the snakes out of Ireland are Patrick’s humility and devout orthodoxy. At heart, St. Patrick was a monk and followed the monkish modes of asceticism and intellectualism. Though tales of his miracles abound, those miracles arose from the miracle of St. Patrick’s soul—and his was a penitential soul.

Towards the end of his life of tireless service to the Irish people, Patrick often withdrew into the mountains, like Moses, to hold conference with his Lord. On the Mountain of the Eagle, now called Croagh Patrick, St. Patrick is said to have wrestled with God Himself, like Jacob, to secure divine redemption for the people he had fought for with his life’s blood and spiritual strength. Standing atop that mountain, Patrick took a stand against the raging elements and even against raging devils, battling for the soul of the Irish people. For forty days, Patrick fasted upon that wild summit, demanding Divine Mercy upon the Irish race. For forty days, he prayed even as the beleaguered demons ranged round the crags in the shape of black birds of prey, swooping and screaming to disturb the holy bishop in his meditations. For forty days Patrick suffered in isolation, until he was finally given heaven’s covenant: that those Irish who did penance for their sins would be borne to heaven; that the barbarians would never conquer the Church in Ireland; and that the Irish people would enjoy final perseverance even unto Judgment Day, upon which Day of Doom, it would fall to Patrick to pass judgment over his beloved flock. These promises made from on high, legend says the Patrick rang a great iron bell from the crest of the mountain, whose tolling echoed over Erin’s Isle, scattering all evil creatures—particularly snakes—who rushed in terror into the sea. The prayer of St. Patrick had been heard and answered.

Such was the love of St. Patrick, who brought peace and joy to the people he had evangelized and delivered from the bonds of paganism. Such was the power of St. Patrick’s forty-day fast—his Lenten trial for the salvation of Ireland. On this March 17th, when the juice of the barley is typically the order of the day, perhaps Irish Catholics in America might consider keeping the fast typical of a Friday in Lent in remembrance of the great fast of St. Patrick, and offer this small sacrifice towards the conversion and salvation of their fellow countrymen. This year’s circumstance of the calendar could invite a different sort of acknowledgement of the transfiguration of a nation that St. Patrick won by doing penance for forty days on the mountain of Croagh Patrick. The jolly jolly grog can wait. There’s always green tea in the meantime.